Shock-absorber for vehicles.



W. KOOTZ.

SHOCK ABSORBER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILEDAPIL'J, 1907.

973,5 1 6, Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

-WILLIAM KOOTZ, or MILWAUKEE, WltSCONSIN;

SHOCK-ABSORBER .FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent-q Patnted Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed April 5, 1907. serial No. 366,619.

16 all whom, it may. concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM Koo'rz, residingin Milwaukeehin the county. of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have in; vented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers for Vehicles, of which the following is a description reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automobiles, and more particularly to meansfor.mlmmizmg,

the shocks and jars incident to undulations and obstructions on the common-roads.

A further object is to provide a simple, economical, and eflicie'nt vehiclewitli means by which the shocks due to undulations and obstructions of the road are minimized or obviated without the necessity of using pneumatic tires which are very expensive initially. and a source of constant-expense for repairs due to punctures. wear etc.

'ith the above, and other incidental objects in view. the" invention consists of the devices and parts, or theirveqnivalents, as

hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a front portion of an automobile body and its steering wheels;

- Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a .rear portion of the body and its propelling wheels; Fig; 1 1s a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3: Fig. 5 isa view.of a front fragment of an automobile body'showing a modified form of device for absorbing shocks; and Fig. 6 is a "view of a rear fragment of an automobile body showing still another modified form of shock device.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the different views.

The body, of the vehicle or automobile may be of any desirable construction adapted for the purpose desired, and in the draw ings I have illustrated a simple box body'7 provided with depending brackets 8, 8, the lower ends of which are bifurcated and are adapted to have the front axles 9 pivoted thereto, and to have a collar 10 surrounding the rear axles 11, 11 pivoted to the bracket depending from the rear portion of the body. The outer ends of the front axles are provided with the ordinary knuckle pivot joints and wheels, and the rear or power axle with ordinary wheels connected rigidly thereto, and maybe provided with differabsorbing connectedto the vehicle body by ential gears, if desired; Both front and I rear axles are divided centrally and the inner 'ends [of .the front axleare rigidlyconnected to the middle portions ,of leaf springs 12,12, by means of clips and straps 13, 13. The forward ends of the springs are pivoted to the body 7 by, meansof brackets 14, 14 and the rear ends-are carried in guides 16'.

I 16' also fastened to the body 7.

The inner-ends of the rear axles are provided with collars 15, 15 which are rig dly connected to leaf springs 16, 16 by clips and straps 17, 17 and these springs are attached to the body 7 in precisely the same way as the front springs are. By this arrangement of the collars on the rear axle provision is made for allowing the axle to be rotated by means of the toothed wheels 18, 18 meshing with pinions 19, 19 carried on shaft 20 suitably journaled in brackets 8 8. The shaft- 20 is rotated by means of a sprocket wheel 21 or any other suitable means connecting the shaft to the source of power. The teeth of the'axle, but not enough as to allow the teeth to get out of mesh.

In themodified construction shown in Fig. 5 the leaf springs are omitted and in place thereof coiled springs .22, 22, cables 23, 23 and pulleys 24, 24 are used to accomplish the same purpose, that is, to provide yielding means connected to the inner ends of the axle and the vehicle, body.

The modified structure shown in Fig. 6 is provided with a. divided axle similar -to the constructions before mentioned but instead of' the inner ends of the axle being yielding means, the yielding means or springs 24, 24

are disposed between the faces of two disks 25, 25'one being attached to the end of each shaft and thusin eflect will operate the same as the constructions before mentioned Inoperation. the parts are positioned as shown in the drawings, and upon striking an obstruction the wheels and that portion of the axle extending outwardly from its pivotal connection with the bracket will swing upwardly .and the inner end of said axle will be swung downwardlyexerting a pull on the spring or yielding member connected' thereto and the shock will be almost entirely absorbed by the yielding member,

. and the vehicle will ride. over the obstruction withoutany jar and thereby accomplish the same function as pneumatic tires, but

in a more efiieient manner, and without the first initial cost of the tires and the expense,

annoyance and discomfort attendant upon possible unctnres.

Vhat claim as my invention is:

1. A'shock absorber for vehicles, comprising a two-part axle, each part of which is medially PIVOtQdtO a bracket connected to a vehicle frame, collars on said 'axle near the inner ends, yieldin means connected to said collars and the vehlcle frame, and means for rotating said axle. 2. A shock absorber for vehicles, comprising a two-part axle, each part of which is medially plvoted to a bracket connected to a vehicleframe, collars on said axles near their inner ends, yielding means connected to said collars and the vehicle frame, gears on said axle, pinio'ns in mesh with said gears, a shaft. upon which said piuidus are mounted, and means for rotating the shaft.

3. A shock absorber for vehicles, comprising a two-part axle, each part of which is medially pivoted to a bracket connected to a vehicle frame, collars on said axles near their inner ends, and springs connected to said collars and the vehicle frame, gears on said axle, pinions in mesh with said gears, a shaftupon which said piuions are mounted, and means for rotating the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in .presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM K()( )TZ.

\Vitnesses C. H. KEENEY, ANNA F. ScnMm'rnAUnn. 

